Assembly

Use the scissors (or a better tool that you may have to CUT the zip ties holding the Hugs Frame to its peg board support (Inventory, Unpacking picture, #6).

Lift the frame of the board supporting it to minimize any twisting.

• The pivot joints are plastic (we 3D printed them in the lab), and have proven to be a little brittle. We are working to find another material with greater tolerance for flexing. In the meantime, just know that there is a potential issue.

  • If the joint breaks, we will replace it.

  • We will very likely give you an improved, updated unit during your time in the study, in any case.

The blue bars attached to one leg on each side of the frame rotate around a pin and lock over a pin on the opposite leg when the frame is open.

This setup allows the A-frame to be collapsed for storage and also keeps it stable when expanded for use.

Careful open then frame to the "A" position.

Fasten the blue bars in place.

The long, black bag (#4 in the "Unpacking" picture on the Inventory page) contains the camera stands that form the vertical members of the frame that holds the RealSense (3D) camera.

They are standard, commercial photographic equipment.

The legs open as you slide them down the center pole (like an upside down umbrella).

The height is adjustable so you can customize it for your particular HUGS implementation (aka setup).

Tighten down the screw to hold the legs at the spread that suits.

Both stands should be the same height so the camera, ultimately is level. You can make small adjustments at the camera swivel mount (later video) as well.

The mounting bar is a PVC tube with holes drilled at either end.

Remove the washer and wing nut from the screw on the top of one stand.

• Fit the bar over the screws.

• Replace the washer and wingnuts.

• Repeat on other stand.

The camera frame will be taller and wider than the HUGS toy frame.

It is set up this way to keep the baby from grabbing the frame and pulling everything over (happened with a very strong 9-month old during pilot testing!)

Screw the swivel clamp (Inventory , Item 1. , 8 o'clock) onto the camera bar. Note that it can be positioned to orient the camera in any direction, 360 degrees around the bar.

Screw the RealSense camera (center, Item 1., Inventory) onto the swivel clamp. Make sure it is secure. It's fairly robust, hard to cross-thread by mistake.

Plug the USB-3 cable into the camera. ( Inventory, Item 1., 2 o'clock) It's NOT in box #2 as I mistakenly say in the video.)

The cable is extra long to give you flexibility in where you put the laptop that it will connect to (Step 7.)

The electronics box ( Inventory, Item 2.) contains the circuitry that takes the forces your baby generate on the bar and logs them to the study laptop.

Plug the square end of the blue cord (Inventory, Item 1., 4 o'clock) into the (matching) square inlet in the electronics box.

This is a multi-pinned cable (Inventory, Item 2., 10 o'clock) that's used to transmit the force data from the HUGS frame to the electronics box.

Both ends are the same. It doesn't matter which one you plug into the electronics box and which one you plug into the "foot" of the HUGS frame (see video).

Align the pins.

Push the connector in securely.

Screw down the "keeper" to make sure the connection is solid and the data stream doesn't get interrupted.

Repeat at the electronics box and at the HUGS frame foot.

Grab the Acer laptop (Inventory, Item 7.) and find its USB ports on the left.

Open the laptop and note that a piece of yellow tape indicates which port is the USB-3 port.

• The black cable connected to the RealSense camera is also marked USB-3.

• USB-3 is faster and better supports the 3D data coming from the RealSense camera.

Plug the black cable into the USB-3 port on the Acer laptop.

Plug the blue cable into the other (USB-2) port on the Acer laptop.

The force data stream is one-dimensional and doesn't have the throughput demands the 3D camera data does!

Align the bar toy to the pinned connector on the HUGS frame.

Push it into place.

Screw down the keeper.

This connection is similar to the one between the HUGS frame and the electronics box.

Your baby's grasp force travels through the bar, down the frame leg, and into the electronics box for transmission to the laptop.

Over the course of the study, we expect you may want to refresh the bar covers.

Each branch of the "T" formed by the bar toy has its own cover.

Covers are held onto the bar by adhering to one another with velcro (next video).

Covers currently in use are cotton.

They are made to be laundered; we recommend hand washing with mild soap.

There is a piece of velcro loop on the inside of the end of each bar cover.

A piece of hook velcro placed between the two covers, around the bar toy flange holds them in place.

• This worked well in the pilot. We have video of some very persistent cover twisting by one enthusiastic 7-month-old, but the covers held!